UI faculty chosen as Top 50 Undergraduate Professor in US

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UI faculty chosen as Top 50 Undergraduate Professor in US

Michael Donohoe, currently teaching federal taxation, was listed in the top 50 undergraduate professors from Poets and Quants. He said his goal for every class is to make someone laugh, even if it is just himself.

Photo courtesy of Gies College of Business

Michael Donohoe, currently teaching federal taxation, was listed in the top 50 undergraduate professors from Poets and Quants. He said his goal for every class is to make someone laugh, even if it is just himself.

Photo courtesy of Gies College of Business

Photo courtesy of Gies College of Business

Michael Donohoe, currently teaching federal taxation, was listed in the top 50 undergraduate professors from Poets and Quants. He said his goal for every class is to make someone laugh, even if it is just himself.

Michael Donohoe, professor in Business, was named one of the Top 50 Undergraduate Professors by Poets and Quants.

Poets and Quants, a news and ranking site that focuses on undergraduate business schools, has recently published its yearly list of the 50 best undergraduate business professors.

“I am profoundly honored and humbled to be nominated, let alone be named a top undergraduate professor,” Donohoe said in an email. “Any external validation for the work that takes place in the classroom is appreciated, let alone something of this magnitude and notoriety. I entered accounting and academia, in part, because of an inspiring professor.”

According to a press release from the Gies College of Business, Donohoe also recently won the Illinois CPA Society’s Outstanding Educator Award and the Outstanding Young Alumni Award from the University of Florida.

He began teaching at the University in 2011 and currently teaches Taxation of Business Entities for the online Masters of Science in Accountancy program.

Donohoe was put on the list in part for his belief that students should not take life too seriously, the press release said.

“Life can be very serious, so I like to make the most of the not-so-serious moments,” he said. “I teach federal taxation, which some (rightfully?) view as serious, dense, boring and very dry. If I don’t keep the material fun and fresh, I could easily lose the interest of most of my students.”

He has also been awarded a spot on the University’s List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by their Students every year since 2012.

“My goal every class is to make someone laugh,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just me that laughs, but that still counts.”

Donohoe said he chose a career in education because he was always able to break down and explain complex topics.

“In my graduate program, I would often help my friends study for exams which, in turn, helped me learn more,” Donohoe said. “After gaining valuable experience in public accounting, education was where I felt like I could contribute the most.”